Electric switch



R. N. RowE ELECTRIC SWITCH Dec; 28, 1948.

4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec 6, 194's fi U f INVENTOR. R ymondN. Rowe,

TbENEY R. N. ROWE ELECTRIC SWITCH Dec. 28, 1948.

'4 SheetsSheet 2 Filed Dec. 6, 1945 INVENTOR R y nd N Rowe Dec. 28,1948.

R. N. Row:

ELECTRIC SWITCH 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec. e, 1945 INVENTOR RaymondNRowe AT RNEY R. N. ROWE ELECTRIC SWITCH Dec. 28, 1948.

Filed Dec. 6, 1,945

4 Sheets-Sheet 4 E D A T w E .w HT: W M 1 E L 7 5 W 1 1 P s 4 Q1 l 0 5 M5 i L 4 a 1 m S .r w H m E M i E o 6 G. 4 m m H m6, M. L

Y Y & C HN Q E R E M E OR'NEY Patented Dec. 28, 1948 ELECTRIC SWITCHRaymond N. Rowe, Plainville, Conn., assignor to The Trumbull ElectricManufacturing Company, Plalnville, Conn., a corporation of ConnecticutApplication December 6, 1945, Serial No. 633,147

9 Claims. 1

My invention relates particularly to enclosed I switches capable ofconnecting a load to either one of two sources of current or capable ofconnecting a source to either one of two loads.

One object is to provide such a switch with a a quick make and breakmechanism.

Another object is to ensure complete disconnection from one sourcebefore connection to the other.

Another object is to mount the contacts in the box body and the snapaction mechanism on the cover so that each is exposed for independentinspection.

Another object is to prevent accidental actuation of the switch when thecover is open.

Another object is to provide mechanism in a switch of this character inwhich the make and break action is positive even in the event of springfailure.

Fig. 1 is a front view of a switch embodying one form of my invention,part of the cover being broken away so as to disclose the interior andthe parts being shown in the open circuit position.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of the actuating handle on theplane of the line 2--2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the entire switch construction onthe plane of the line 3--3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a. fragmentary vertical sectional view showing the interlockbetween the actuating handle and the movable switch member, the sectionbeing taken on the plane of the line 44 of Fig. -5.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 4 and a section on theplane of line 55 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a drop perspective view of parts of the driving connection.

Fig. '7 is a view showing the driving and throwing mechanism in the opencircuit or off position.

Fig. 8 is a similar view showing the throwing mechanism in a closed oron position.

Fig. 9 is a plan view showing part of the switch interior.

Fig. 10 is a diagram of the circuits of the switch of Fig. 9.

The body of the box It! has a cover ll hinged at l2 and provided withclamps l3 for the other edges. The switch l4 per se, may be of anysuitable type having two sets of stationary contacts [5, I6 and amovable switch member l'l carried by a rotatable shaft l8. An arm I9issecured to the outer end of shaft l8 and extends laterally therefrom.Its outer end is adapted to slide across the track 20 carried by thebox. The parts are shown in the off position in Figs. 1, 3 and 5. Aspring lever 2i is mounted on the aim I9 and under pressure of a spring22 on the post '23. A pin 24 is carried by the spring lever 2| and whenthe cover is open projects down through the arm l3 into a hole in thestationary track 20 so as to prevent the arm and shaft from beingaccidentally turned. By pressing down on the inner end of the springlever 2|, it is tilted to the position of Fig. 3 so that the pin 24 isretracted from the track and the arm and shaft are free to be rotated.This tilting is done automatically by the post 25 carried by the coverwhen the cover is closed and may be effected manually when the cover isopen.

The shaft I8 and its arm l9 are rotated by means of a disc 26 mounted ona central post 25. This disc is supported at its periphery by a numberof guides 21 and pressed downwardly by a spring 28 on post 25. The rimof disc 26 has a slot 29 with sloping sides adapted to receive the post23 on the arm [9 when the cover is closed.

Power to rotate the disc is applied by the external handle 30 and twothrowing springs 3| and 32, with lost motion connections, so that whenthe handle is moved to start the action and a spring is compressed tothe driving point the disc is rotated out of control of the operator tothe on or off position as the case may be.

The details of the handle mounting shown herein are disclosed andclaimed in my application Serial Number 619,999 filed October 3, 1945.For the purpose of this application, it is suflicient to point out thatthe handle has a hub 33 rotatably supported in a bearing member 34carried by the cover.

An annular member or ring 35 is mounted for limited rotation on this hub33, for instance, the hub may have a disc with a cut-out 36 in one edgeand the ring may have a projection 31 of less circumferential extentprojecting into the cutout 36.

The springs 3|, 32 are mounted on rods 3| and 32' which have fixedabutments 38 and 39 and forked connections with pins 40 and 4| on thering 35 when the parts are in the off position. Each rod also maintainsengagement with its pin while the parts are being moved to the closedcircuit position in each direction during which time the other rod isdisconnected from its pin and presses against pin 42 on ring 35'. Pins42 limit outward movement of the springs.

' Ring 35 carries a roller 43 which operates in a butterfly shapedopening 44 in the disc 26. In the ofi position, the roller stands in thecurved central part of this opening 4| as shown in Fig. 7. The ring 35has two lugs 45 which extend toward the disc in position to coact withits projections 46 to hold the disc in the of! position.

Rotation of the handle 30 rotates the hub and the annular member or ringand thuscompresses one of the springs depending upon which direction thehandle is turned. The opening 44 in the disc has a cam-like edge 47against which the roller 43 presses when the handle is rotated towardeither one of the on positions. Thisstarts to rotate the disc slowly atfirst under the'operators control. As soon as the pin '40 or 4| as thecase may be is rotated past the center line the spring which has beencompressed by this action suddenly throws the ring and its roller in itsdirection out of the operators control until the roller reaches theouter end of the opening 44. By this movement, the circuit is closed.

To open the circuit, the handle is turnedin the opposite directionduring which time the roller 35 engages the edge 48 of the opening inthe disc and turns the disc backward while the spring is beingcompressed. This will result in a quick break as soon as the compressedspring passes the line of centers.

The switch per se m the form shown has agstack of insulating discs 50with the contacts between them. This is claimed in my application ser.No. 652,586, filed March 7, 1946.

Fig. 9 is a plan view showing one form of-mechanism suitable for usewith this invention.

In the diagram of Fig. 10, the stationary contacts i6 are shownconnected to the ships service supply lines S+S and to the load linesL+L. The stationary contacts are-similarly-connected to the emergencysupply lines E+E- andto the load-lines L+L-. The movable contacts H, Hand I1 rotate together as a part of the switch member IT and serve toconnect the ships service supply to the load when the switch member I!is rotated counterclockwise and to connect the emergency supply to theload when the switch member I7 is rotated clockwise. It will beunderstood that although the particular switch shown was designed forships use that the invention is adapted for use wherever it is desiredto have two independent sources of supply which can be-readily andsafely applied to a load of any kind. 'Certain principles of thisinvention are adapted for embodiment in switches having more than twosources of supply as in my application Ser. No. 652,586.

By reason of the directconnection between the handle and the throwingdisc the switch can be actuated even if the throwing springs shouldfail.

Various circuit arrangements are possible merely by varying the externalcircuit connections to agree with whatever type of system the switch isconnected to, i. e. two or three wire systems.

I claim: a 1. Throwing mechanism for a transfer switc including a dischaving an eccentric opening with oppositely extending bays, a centralshaft'for said disc, an oscillatable ring, two oppositely com pressiblethrowing springs operativelyconnected to said ring and a roller carriedby said ring and coacting with the edges of the opening in said disc torotate said disc partially about its shaft.

2. Throwing mechanism for a switch including a disc having an eccentricopening with oppositely extending bays, a central shaft for said disc,an oscillatablering, two oppositely compressible throwing springsoperatively connected to said ring, said disc having stops coacting withsaid ring to hold back said disc until one of the springs is fullycompressed and a roller carried by said ring and coacting with the edgesof the opening in said disc to rotate the same upon movement 01 saidmine.

3. Switching mechanism including a support, a disc rotatably carriedthereby, a rotatable actuating handle carried by said support, anoscillatable member, two opposed throwing springs operatively connectedthereto, a lost-motion connectionbetween said handle and saidoscillatable :member, a lost-motion connection between said:oscillatable member and said disc and means for connecting said disc toa movable switch member.

4. Switching mechanism including a box containing the switch contacts, acover therefor, a disc rotatably carried by said cover, a rotatableactuating handle carried by said cover, an oscillatable member, twoopposed throwing springs connected thereto, a lost-motion connectionbetween said handle and-said oscillatable member, a lost-motionconnection between said'oscillatable member and said disc and means "forconnecting said disc to a movableswitch member.

5. The combinatic-n of a switchin a box having a .cover,.said switchhaving ra rotatable member, an arm connected to said member andextending laterally therefrom, a stationary track in the box, a levermounted to tilt on said arm and having a pin adapted to interlock withsaid track, means carried by the cover for engaging said lever toretract said pin and release the arm when the cover is closedandswitchactuating means carried by thecover having means to interlockwith said arm :for rotatingthe-rotatable switch menv ber when thecoveris closed.

6. The combination of a switch in a box having a cover, said switchhaving-a rotatable member, an arm connected to said member and extendinglaterally therefrom, a lever mounted to tilt on said arm and lock saidlever and arm, means carried by the cover for engaging said lever toretract the same and release the arm when the cover is-closed and switchactuating means carried by the cover having means to interlock with saidarm for rotating the rotatable switch member when the cover is'closed.

'7. Switching mechanism comprising a support, anactuating disc pivotedthereon to be turned a partial turn on its axis in both directions, anannular member eccentric to said disc and having two pins, a handlehaving-a lost motion connection with said annular member, two oppositelyarranged springpressed throwing rods engaging said pins when the partsare'in theo position, said disc having an opening witha camedge and twooppositely inclined edges, said annular member ,having a rollerextending into said opening, said rollercoacting wtih the cam edge forrotating said disc to either on position and coacting with the inclinededges for rotating said disc back to an off position.

8. Switchingmechanism comprising a support, an actuating disc pivotedthereon to be turneda partialturn on itsaxis in both directions to closea circuit, an annular member eccentric with respect tosaid disc, saidannular member and said disc having'coacting projections for preventingaccidental rotation of said disc from the oil" position, a handlehavinga lostmotion connection with said annular member, two oppositelyarranged spring pressed throwing rods connected tolsaid disc when theparts are in the .ofiflposition, said disc having a cam edge and twooppositely inclined edges, said annular member having a roller coactingwtih the cam edge for rotating said disc to either on position andcoacting with the inclined edges for rotating said disc back to an offposition.

9. The combination of a switch in a box having a cover, said switchhaving a rotatable shaft for actuating movable contacts of the switch,an arm connected to said shaft and extending laterally therefrom to movein a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the cover, astationary track secured to the box and extending close to the path ofmovement of said arm, a lever mounted to tilt on said arm and having aformation to interlock the arm with said track, means carried by thecover for engaging said lever to retract REFERENCES CITED The followingreferences are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,534,515 Gretchell Apr. 21, 19252,260,073 Ellis Oct. 21, 1941 2,263,760 Currie Nov. 25, 1941

